Website Copywriting Rates: How Much Should You Pay?

If you take nothing away from this article, remember this. You Get What You Pay for with copywriting services.

I’ve had clients say:

“I’m coming to you because multiple copywriters have burned me in the past.”

When I tell them how much I charge, they complain.

“You’re too expensive. I have copywriters who charge half that amount.”

Hold up. Weren’t you complaining that the freelance copywriters you worked with were not good enough?

Awesome copywriters cost money. And if you’re reading this article, you’re considering hiring a copywriter for your website project but you don’t know how much to pay.

First off, there’s no standard website copywriting rates. Each copywriter set prices commensurate to the value they place on their skill.

I’ve written this post as a guide for prospective clients. It will give you a ball-park range on how to budget for web copywriting services.

6 Factors That Determine the Cost of Web Copywriting

To help you determine what you should pay for website copywriting, here are six factors that influence the cost of copywriting.

1. Industry Knowledge

Some copywriters are generalists who cover a range of industries. But there’s a marked difference when working with a niche copywriter. Expect to pay more for subject matter experts who have more knowledge about your industry than a generalist.

2. Experience

There’s a famous saying in the copywriting world.

“You’re not paying for my time. You’re paying for the years it took me to acquire my skills.”

The experience reflects the quality of work produced. A financial copywriter with over a decade of experience writing about finance will charge more than a newbie with less than a year under their belt.

3. The Complexity of the Project

Some topics are more complex than others. It took me 5 hours to write a 750-word article on Clean Room Technology and 3 hours to replicate the same word count for the Home Improvement niche.

Depending on the niche, it could take more time to research the topic, understand industry terms, and write engaging content.

4. Size of the Project

The scope of the project affects the price. A project that takes two months to complete cost more than a project you’ll complete in five days.

For instance, a website copywriting project that includes six service pages, location pages, and a knowledge base will cost more than a one-page website.

5. Turnaround Time

Good copywriters are booked solid months ahead. If you want to work with them, you’ll need to book on time or pay a rush fee.

A rush fee is a payment for a copywriter to jump on your project or submit your work ahead of their usual deadline. It applies for urgent projects.

6. Additional Requirements

Do you require graphics, video, or other visual aids with your website content? The visual aid could be an infographic, a chart, professional images or some form of interactive content.

It takes time and skill to create graphics or cater to additional elements outside the original scope of work. The extra cost will be factored in the final price you pay.

Website Copywriter Rates for Different Project Types

There are different types of website copywriting, each distinguished by its purpose. Below is a range of prices you should expect to pay.

Remember, these are only base prices to guide you. Some copywriters may charge more or less than the prices below.

Website Copywriting Type	Description	Price Per Copy
Sales copywriting	Written to persuade a visitor to take a specific action, usually to buy or demo a product	Newbie – $200-300 Intermediate – $500 – $1,000 Expert – Base price of $1500
SEO copywriting	SEO copywriting is written with a target keyword to drive organic traffic from search engines.	Newbie – $50 – $100 Intermediate – $150 – $500 Expert – Base price of $600
Product Description copywriting	Typically written for e-commerce websites or standalone products.	Newbie – $20-$50 Intermediate – $100- $300 Expert – Base price of $500
Web content	Website content such as homepage, about us and service pages	Newbie – $100 – $200 Intermediate – $300 – $600 Expert -Base price of $1,500
Landing Page Copywriting	Landing page content is the ultimate conversion content written to sell or promote an offer.	Newbie – $150 – $200 Intermediate – $500 – $1,000 Expert – Base price of $1,000. Some may negotiate royalties.

Should You Pay Per Hour or Per Word for Website Copywriting?

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When paying for copywriting, the traditional options are per word and hourly billing. There’s a third option which we’ll discuss later. But let’s cover the pros and cons of these options.

Charging Per Hour

The Pros

At first glance, this seems like a better deal. You’re paying for the time the writer spends on research, writing, proofreading, editing and making revisions.

For copywriting projects that take longer and run outside the scope of work, you’re certain of paying the copywriter for work done.

The cons

Research by Orbit Media shows that it takes 3 hours and 20 minutes on average to write a blog post. Some copywriters (like me) spend 4-5 hours on an SEO-optimized blog post.

What’s the real measurement of a writer’s worth? Charging per hour doesn’t account for the courses they took, the learning curves, or the time-tested process that took years to develop.

Also, accurate tracking of time spent on a project is not as easy as it sounds. How do you calculate the extra time spent on research, back and forth communications, and revisions?

Charging Per Word

The Pros

The more words the writer churns, the more they earn. If they charge $.20 per word and a client orders a 1,000-word blog, that’s $200 for a task that took 4-5 hours to complete. For some writers, it’s motivation to get more done each day.

The Cons

First, it commoditizes a professional service. Writing is a creative endeavor, just like painting, making music and cooking.

The focus is on quantity over quality. They’ll be tempted to pad your copy with fluff to increase the word count and earn more. There’s no thought to process, deeper research, or taking time to edit the copy properly.

For instance, when writing SEO copy, you have to do keyword research, understand search intent and create an SEO content outline before writing a word of text.

If you charge per word, you don’t earn money for the time spent on keyword research when writing blog posts or web content.

How Experienced Copywriters Set Website Copywriting Rates

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Charging per project is the best way to pay for online copywriting services. The copywriter sets a fixed project fee for each unique copywriting project.

They’re not selling quantity or time. They’re providing value and expertise in exchange for money.

Charging per project provides certainty. You know exactly how much to pay before contacting a copywriter.

It’s better than per hour billing where you could spend more than you budgeted. And it’s certainly preferred to per word where you don’t enjoy quality services.

An Experienced Website Copywriter Considers the Following:

• Each Project Is Unique

No two copywriting projects are the same. I always tell clients that my flat rates are base prices. The more complex the project, the higher the project fee.

• What’s the ROI on the Copy?

Would you give Coca Cola and your local restaurant the same quote? A professional copywriter considers the ROI on your copy and charges accordingly.

It’s easier to calculate the ROI on website content like sales copy, product description, and landing pages. There’s a direct revenue from their work.

• Their years of Experience

A freelance writer with 5-10 years of experience won’t charge the same freelance copywriter rate as someone with 1-2 years of experience.

It’s more about the skill-set and less about the time taken to complete a task.

The Real Cost of Hiring a Professional Copywriter Worth Their Weight in Gold

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Don’t set out to hire just any freelance copywriter. Hire a copywriter that achieves your content marketing goals.

The right copywriter IS THE DIFFERENCE between a marketing campaign that succeeds and one that tanks.

A professional copywriter has a conversion-focused system for creating a web content that delivers sales.

This revenue-generating copywriting system is what you’re really paying for when you hire a website copywriter.

Generally, it takes time to find the right copywriter for your brand. But any great relationship doesn’t happen overnight.

Concluding Thoughts

Remember, you get what you pay with website copywriting. The cost of hiring experts with a proven history of success is increasing daily.

But the results make them worth every penny. Do your research and vet writers properly before paying their website copywriting rates.

 

Skip the heartbreak of hiring a copywriter who doesn’t work out. We’ve built a fool-proof strategy to help you convert more customers without going over-budget. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.